Verticality and Conceptual Metaphors: A Systematic Review

Verticality (the position of a physical object along the vertical dimension) is a basic aspect of human life. As such, it is co-opted for multiple metaphorical associations. In this review, building on the conceptual metaphor theory, we examine how the vertical dimension is metaphorically connected with critical constructs such as power, valence, concreteness, direction, and rationality/emotions, with important consequences for consumer experience and response. We introduce the verticality-manipulation taxonomy, which highlights new ways to think about the research on this topic. This taxonomy has five dimensions: the object’s verticality, the viewer’s verticality, the imagined verticality, the vertical associations, and the abstract domains. We then identify open issues and conflicting results in the current literature, and we indicate some insights for further research on this topic. We also summarize the key managerial implications arising from the wealth of research on this topic.